


You

by nursedrangus



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Angst, Drunk karaoke, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I hate tagging, chris hates cats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-02-27 04:55:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13240869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nursedrangus/pseuds/nursedrangus
Summary: (Cross posted on Tumblr)Sebastian Stan is not thrilled to see the new member of the medical staff in the latest Marvel Film, he only wished he could remember why.





	1. Chapter 1

He had only known her for exactly 17 seconds, but he knew he didn’t like her. She was saying something to Chris, gesturing to an object in her hand, and all Sebastian could think was “How long until she goes away?” 

Chris elbowed him in the side. “Dude, she asked you a question.” Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Sebastian looked at the woman expectantly. 

“I need to know who your emergency contact is,” she stated. Sebastian had already forgotten her name, but he knew she was a new member of the on set medical crew. 

“Shouldn’t that all be in my file or something?” Sebastian was bored-weeks of preparation and he just wanted filming to start. “Can’t you get this information from my assistant?” 

“To answer your first question, we are transitioning to digital files and we figured it was a good time to update your information. The answer to your second question lies in the fact your assistant isn’t answering his phone, and I kind of need to get this done.” 

Sebastian looked her fully in the face for the first time since she introduced herself minutes ago. He forgot for a small second he had decided to hate her and noticed she was cute. Petite, a little too skinny, but definitely cute. Sebastian couldn’t put his finger on what it was he didn’t like, he just knew he wasn’t a fan. 

To get her to move on, he quickly gave his mother’s information before brushing past her. Chris caught up to him a few seconds later. “Wow, you were kind of a dick to her back there,” he said, falling into step with Sebastian.

“Yeah, not sure I like her much. Not sure why they had to get rid of Chuck,” he said, naming the nurse who had worked on the previous Marvel sets. 

“They didn’t. He retired. And why don’t you like her? She seems nice.”

“Not sure, there’s just something about her-”

“Hey!” Both men turned to face Scarlett, who had just ran up behind them. “Did you all meet Cassidy? She is really funny!”

“Who the hell is Cassidy?” Sebastian laughed as he pulled Scarlett into a bear hug. 

“Seriously, Seb? We have literally been discussing her for the last 5 minutes!” said Chris, throwing his hands in the air. 

Sebastian shrugged. “I told you, I really don’t care.”  
He only wished he knew why.  
________________________________________________________


	2. Chapter 2

Cassidy stared at the mountain of paper work in front of her. As the only nurse on staff who had worked with the new computer system, she’d been charged with inputting all of the information. Just as she was contemplating the amount of coffee she would need to accomplish this task, a knock on the door sounded. 

Grateful for the distraction, she eagerly shouted “Come in!”   
Chris Evans, in all his Captain America glory, opened the door, letting a burst of heat behind him. “Hey, just wanted to let you know we are getting ready to start filming, and you’re needed on set with supplies? Do you know what they mean by that?” 

“I do,” Cassidy laughed. “Why did they send you to get me? Don’t the powers that be have assistants for that?” 

Chris shrugged, “I was walking past when someone asked me to get you.” He moved to open the door before turning back to her. “You might want to ditch the sleeves,” he said, noting the long sleeve shirt under her scrubs. “We can’t have you passing out from heat stroke just when we need IV fluids.” 

“Noted.” Cassidy watched as he left before turning to the supply closet behind her. Grabbing a duffle bag, she proceeded to gather several bags of IV fluid, salt tablets, IV start kits, and a hat for herself. 

Stepping outside, Cassidy sucked in a deep breath. The heat was stifling, and the humidity made her feel sticky and uncomfortable. 

Approaching the med tent, she noted gratefully that someone had set up industrial strength fans. Cassidy moved quickly, setting up to receive overheated and dehydrated actors. Jessie, a part time LPN, joined her in the tent, dragging a large cooler filled with ice and water behind her. “What are we shooting today?” asked Jessie. 

“No idea, but Chris and Sebastian are the only actors I can see, so it must be something between them.” Sure enough, someone called action and both actors launched into a complicated, though carefully choreographed, fight sequence.

No more than an hour later found both men in the medical tent, sweating profusely and panting heavily. Cassidy found herself in front of Sebastian, turning his arm over in her hands in attempt to find a vein. The search didn’t take long, as he was young and in great shape. His head was turned toward the fan, eyes closed and mouth open slightly as he appreciated the cooler air blowing on him. So far, he’d only spoken to her to answer direct questions unlike Chris, who was currently chatting amicably with Jessie. 

“Okay, Sebastian. You’re going to feel a little cold while I clean the site for your IV.” He grunted a response and made a face as the cool alcohol soaked swan touched his skin. He still refused to look at her.

Cassidy wasn’t at all surprised by Sebastian’s open dislike of her. She supposed if their roles were reversed, she would act the same way. While the better part of a decade had passed since their brief interaction, she had expected him to at least act as though he recognized her. Maybe not know who she was exactly, but know that he knew her from somewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: talk of abuse

Sebastian sucked in a breath as the needle pierced his skin. “You could’ve let me know you were about to do that,” he scowled. 

“Sorry,” she grimaced, looking at him sheepishly. “I was lost in my head for a minute.” 

“Whatever,” Sebastian sighed, closing his eyes again. He felt her feather-lite touches as she hooked up IV fluids meant to rehydrate him quickly. He listened as she hummed a tune unknown to him, thinking it was pretty. He smelled her, a mixture of vanilla, lavender, and coffee. There was something familiar, though he couldn’t place it.

“Blech,” he said as he made a face. His eyes snapped open to find her eyes on him as she checked his pulse. 

“Tasting the IV fluids, huh?” she asked him, suppressing a smile.

“Tastes like Lysol smells,” he responded wrinkling his nose. 

“You aren’t the first one to say that,” she laughed as she stood, removing the stethoscope from around her neck. “Breathe in through your mouth please,” Cassidy commanded, placing the stethoscope against his back. 

As she worked, Sebastian again found himself wondering why he disliked her so. “Your pulse is a little high. I’m willing to bet you’re going to need more than a liter of IV fluid. Let’s let this one finish and I will recheck your vitals once it’s complete.” She stood, patting his arm as though out of habit. Sebastian grunted in response, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. 

“I’m fine.” Really, he felt awful. Sebastian could feel his heart racing and the sweat pooling under his arm. His tongue felt like sandpaper, causing him to reach for the bottle of water under his chair. If he were to be at all honest with her, he would tell her about the raging headache building behind his eyes and the persistent nausea he’d been battling since putting on his winter soldier costume hours ago.  
He felt her eyeing him and glared at her. 

No, he would continue to ignore the way he felt just to avoid sharing a space with her longer than necessary.   
—————————————————–  
Several hours later, Cassidy was putting supplies away inside the medical trailer. The air conditioner wasn’t working well, so she fanned herself dramatically with a file folder, causing Chris to laugh. He had offered to help her carry things back to the trailer as he was headed to the parking lot. “I told you the long sleeves were a bad idea.” 

Cassidy gave him a tight smile before replying, “I’m alright; nurses spend 80% of their day more uncomfortable than this.” 

Subconsciously, she tugged at the sleeves, hoping the sweat dripping off her wouldn’t turn the white fabric transparent. Years of abuse by her ex husband had conditioned her to be aware of her clothing at all times. 

Although he was no longer in the picture, she still found her self covering imaginary bruises and real scars with long sleeves. 

Chris laughed, completely unaware of her discomfort. “Suit yourself, but in this heat you may want to think about not dying of heat stroke. What do I know, I’m not the professional,” he laughed, throwing her a million watt smile. 

“At least you can admit your faults,” Cassidy said lightly, thinking of Sebastian. She knew she was being unfair, but she was slowly becoming irritated with his attitude towards her. Earlier in the day, he completely shrugged her off once his IV fluids had finished. Sebastian had stated “I know the drill” before quickly exiting the tent. He had refused to come back as Chris had, choosing instead to make a beeline to his trailer where she could only guess what he was doing. 

“Speaking of people with faults, have you seen Seb? We rode together, and I would really like to get out of here.” Chris checked his phone, frustration apparent in the way he held his mouth.

“Not since right after things wrapped for the day,” 

Cassidy replied. “Maybe he is still in his trailer.”

“Maybe. Guess I will go check before I ditch his ass,” Chris grumbled as he ducked through the trailer doorway.

It seemed mere seconds had passed before she heard the sound of running feet on gravel before the door was thrown open. “Seb is in his trailer, and he isn’t looking to good. Could you-”

Cassidy was already moving, grabbing several items in a hurried fashion before sprinting past Chris into the rapidly cooling night air. The only valuable thing she had ever learned from her ex husband was that if there was an emergency, run. Do not walk.  
—————————————————–  
Lavender. Vanilla. Coffee. A pretty tune. A pinch and a sting followed by a bitter, antiseptic taste in his mouth.   
Sebastian’s eyes fluttered open and the room came into focus. Chris, a worried expression on his face. One of the directors, saying something into the phone, though Sebastian could not hear what was being said.

Her.

Something in her eyes. 

“You. I know you.”


	4. Chapter 4

The room was dark. Sebastian wrung his hands nervously as he stepped through the threshold, moving as quietly as he could. The man lay in the bed, eyes closed and breathing deeply, his breath rattling with every exhale. Sebastian sat in an empty chair on the side of the bed closest to the door, his view of the rising sun nearly unobstructed. 

The figure in the bed stirred, startling Sebastian.  
“Son? Is that you?” 

“Hi, Dad.” The exchange was already more awkward than he had bargained for. He and his father had a cordial relationship at best. “Mom told me I should come.”

“Did she, now?” the older man gave a slight smile. “I have to be on my death bed for her to encourage you to see me.” 

“How long?” Sebastian refused to be coddled. If his father was dying, he wanted specifics. 

“Maybe a week. The cancer is in my brain.”

Sebastian was silent. One week to build a relationship with his father that should’ve taken all of his 27 years. 

A knock on the door pulled Sebastian from his thoughts.

“Now son,” his father exclaimed, his demeanor brightening considerably, “this young lady is my favorite. She brings me ice cream and pain medication.” Sebastian smiled at his father’s attempt at humor. 

“Nice to meet you,” she smiled. Sebastian noticed the smell of lavender and vanilla as she leaned across the bed to shake his hand. “I’m Sadie. I will be taking care of your father today.” She was on the short side. Cute, a bit overweight. Sebastian caught her hand in his and introduced himself.

“Okay, sir,” she said, turning to his father. She assessed him quickly and thoroughly, chatting at she went. She wrote things down as they spoke, coming up with a plan for pain control. “I will send in the doctor as soon as she is here to explain things to the both of you,” Sadie said as she straightened his father’s blankets. Walking to the sinking, she tugged her sleeves out of the way and turned on the faucet. 

It was then Sebastian got a glimpse of four round bruises on her forearm. Sadie noticed him looking, and hurriedly shut the water off, dried her hands and yanked her shirtsleeves down. 

“Okay, I will be back to check on you in about an hour.” She all but ran from the room.

“And that right there, son, is the reason I will haunt you to the end of your days if you so much as think about putting your hands on someone smaller than you.”  
_____________________________________________

“You. I know you.” Sebastian thought to himself as he stared at her. No. It couldn’t be her. Sebastian tried to remember the name of the nurse from 8 years ago. He could not remember it, but he knew it wasn’t Cassidy. 

————————————————  
“He is out again,” Cassidy stated. Sebastian was severely dehydrated to the point an ambulance was called. The first liter of fluid finished, and she immediately replaced it with another one. “He is going to needs labs, maybe an overnight stay at the hospital.” 

Cassidy knew she was talking to herself; the director was making phone call after phone call as he changed the shooting schedule. Chris had been sent home by Cassidy-he had been pacing and relentlessly asking questions. He was no use to anybody. 

“Cassidy, could you go with him to the hospital? I will make sure you get overtime.” Without giving her a chance to answer, he put his phone to his ear.   
“Georgeta, hi-” his voice trailed as he left the trailer. 

Moments later she heard sirens. She stepped outside and flagged down the ambulance.  
————————————————–  
Several hours passed before Sebastian was admitted for dehydration and elevated potassium levels. In the emergency department, he received electrolytes and more IV fluids. His once erratic heart rate stabilized and he was easy to wake up, though he would quickly fall asleep again.

Once settled in a room, Cassidy called the director to update him. “He’s doing okay. They want to monitor him overnight.”

“Okay. Thanks. I’m just wondering how it got this bad! He’s usually really on top of things like this.” 

“I uh, I think it’s me. I get the feeling I’m not his favorite person.” Cassidy grimaced. Saying out loud that she may be indirectly responsible for this whole mess was not easy. 

“I don’t care if he loathes the very ground you walk on, today shouldn’t have happened. We will discuss that another time. Until then, tell him I expect to see him on set the day after tomorrow. Can you stay, makes sure he does what they tell him to do?”

Cassidy sighed, “Yeah, I guess I can.”

“Great, see you the day after tomorrow as well.” 

Without waiting for a response, he hung up. Cassidy’s head fell against the wall as she forced a breath out through her nose. 

As she re-entered the darkened hospital room, she instinctively look towards the bed. 

Sebastian was sitting up, eyes open and on her as she moved to sit in a chair on the opposite side of the room. “We’ve met before.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes,” Cassidy sighed, looking at her hands. “We’ve met before.”


	5. Chapter 5

_“What happens now?” Sebastian tried hard to keep his voice steady, but the cracking at the end of his question betrayed him._

  
_Sadie answered kindly, though she didn’t use any cliches. Sebastian appreciated this about her. “We continue to wait. Your father could be in a coma for any length of time before he is ready to go.”_

_“How will I know it’s time?” He continued to watch her as wiped his father’s face with a cloth. She explained the dying process to Sebastian. When she began the process of applying lotion to his father’s dry and cracked feet, she explained what she was doing as though he was still listening._

  
_When Sebastian asked why she did that, Sadie answered, “The theory is hearing is the last sense to leave the body, and it’s comforting to think that even though they can’t respond, they can hear the lovely things their families say to them.”_

  
_“So if I talk to him, he might hear me?”_

  
_“Yes, Sebastian.” She glanced at him with a small smile, but did not say more. Sebastian again found himself appreciating her. She was calm, didn’t sugar coat anything, and respectful. Sadie also didn’t fangirl like some of the other staff. In fact, Sebastian was pretty sure she had no idea who he was. “Say what you need to say,” she said as she washed her hands. “Trust me when I say you will feel better if you do.”_

  
_As Sadie turned to leave, Sebastian suddenly remembered something his father had said when he was still awake. “Sadie.” She paused in the doorway and turned so she faced Sebastian. “My father wanted me to ask you if you would be here when it’s time. He really likes-I mean liked you.”_

  
_“I will do my best. I like him too.”_  
__________  
Six weeks had passed since that night at the hospital. Six agonizingly slow weeks in which Sebastian has perfected the art of avoidance. Sure, he presented himself at the medical tent or trailer when required, but he wouldn’t even look at her. During this time, Cassidy found herself becoming more adept than ever at reading body language and facial expressions. As a nurse, she was used to pissed off patients and rude behavior. What she wasn’t used to, however, was being entirely shut out by a patient.

  
She would have almost preferred it if Sebastian spent every waking moment cussing her out. Loud anger, she could handle. Joseph, her ex husband, had made sure of that. His temper would often burst from him as though he were a volcano.

  
Simmering loathing was entirely new.

  
The fact was, no matter which way she sliced it, she knew his anger was warranted. Sebastian had no way of knowing why she wasn’t there for him like she’d said she’d be.   
Cassidy checked the clock on the wall of the trailer and noticed it was well passed the time she normally left. She had been inventorying supplies and was so lost in thought, she hadn’t realized it was quickly approaching 10 pm. “Fuck,” she sighed as she stood. Stretching her arms above her head, she cracked her neck and savored the relief it gave her tired muscles. She quickly grabbed her belongings and stepped into the cool night air. They were shooting in a new location, and had ended up in her home town. Glancing around around, she noticed she was likely one of the last people on set. Cassidy locked the door to the trailer and, car keys in hand, headed for her car.

  
“Hey, Cass!” Chris’ greeting startled her. Cassidy shrieked and dropped her keys, causing Chris to laugh and Scarlett, who was walking with him, to grin. “I’m sorry,” he snickered. “Where are you heading? Home?”

  
“Yeah, would’ve been there sooner, but I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.” Cassidy shifted foot to foot, despite having worked with him for weeks, she could hardly believe that not only was Chris-fucking-Evans speaking to her, he was doing so with Scarlett Johansson at his elbow.

  
“Well hey, since most of us have tomorrow off, we were gonna go grab a couple of drinks. Care to join us? Scarlett is buying!” Scarlett punched him in the arm.

  
“Um, sure. Can I meet you there? I would really like to change first,” Cassidy replied, gesturing to her scrubs.

  
“Absolutely. Do you know where The Swamp is?” Chris asked, naming a local bar.

  
“Oh man, I haven’t been there in ages,” Cassidy stated, nostalgic for her favorite dive bar.

  
“Oh right, I had heard you were from here! Well then, we will see you in about an hour?” Cassidy nodded. “Great! If you beat me there, just look for Mackie and Seb.“ Chris didn’t give her a chance to change her mind as he walked towards his rented SUV.

  
“I have a kid to get home to, so I won’t be joining you,” Scarlett smiled, also headed to her parked car. “See you in a couple days!”  
“Fuck,” Cassidy found herself saying again.   
Not wanting to be a flake, something people from Seattle were known for, Cassidy decided she wouldn’t back out and headed home to change.   
——————-  
“Hello, Nurse!” an obviously drunk Anthony Mackie yelled across the bar. She crossed the crowded floor, pushing her way through drunk college students and young professionals. Reaching the table where Sebastian and Mackie were seated, she noticed both men give her a quick once over. Cassidy wasn’t surprised-most people used to seeing her in scrubs looked at her like this whenever she wore street clothes. Tonight she had chosen skinny jeans, black chucks, and a faded zip up hoodie over a Seahawks t shirt. Her long, wavy brown hair cascaded to her waist. “You know, Evans might regret inviting you once he sees the that abomination of a t shirt you’re wearing.”

  
Cassidy made a face before turning her head to eye the beer selection posted on the wall. “Be right back.” She approached the bar, ordering a shot of tequila and white rascal. She tossed the shot back and ordered another, noting the thumbs up Mackie gave her from their table. Sebastian rolled his eyes and scowled. She drank the second shot and grabbed her beer off the counter. Turning, she noticed Chris had joined the table and sat next to Mackie. That left the spot next to Sebastian, a fact unnoticed by him.

  
“Really, Cass? The Seahawks?” Chris looked incredulous. Cassidy laughed, a buzz already taking hold. “Come on, Mackie. You owe me a drink and I’m going to need one to put up with this,” Chris laughed, pulling the other man from the booth. Sebastian cleared his threat, causing Cassidy to turned her attention to him.

  
“Listen,” he started, “let’s, uh…can I call a temporary truce? I don’t really want to go into what happened with these guys.”  
“Sure,” Cassidy nodded, relieved at the prospect of a temporary respite from his anger.   
____________________  
The group got louder as they got drunk. Sebastian found that putting aside his feelings was remarkably easy, likely since she looked like a completely different person in jeans a t shirt.

  
“It’s so hot in here,” Cassidy said, her hand hitting his arm as she shed her sweatshirt. It dawned on him this was the first time seeing her without long sleeves as she reached for the pitcher of beer to poor herself another.   
Sebastian made to grab the pitcher from her when she was done.

  
That is when he noticed a thick, white scar snaking from her wrist to her elbow.


	6. Chapter 6

“What in the hell are you drinking?” Chris asked Cassidy, eying the blue tinted drink she had returned from the bar with.  
“Aviation,” she replied as she slid into the booth next to Sebastian. He, too, was looking at the drink skeptically.  
“Why is it blue? Do I smell gin? Is it good,” Sebastian fired at her. Ever since deciding to call a temporary truce, he’d been down right talkative, friendly even. Either the alcohol had made him forget, or he was a better actor than she’d originally thought.

“Slow your roll,” Cassidy laughed. “To answer your questions-creme de violette, yes, and very. Here.” Cassidy slid the class in his direction. Sebastian sipped the drink delicately, raising his eyebrows in approval.

  
“Normally, I’m not one for gin. This, however? Not too bad,” he said, handing it back to Cassidy.

  
“Didn’t you drive here?” Chris still looked skeptical as she sipped the drink. He had stopped drinking after Mackie had left 30 minutes prior. As he sobered up, he began to increasingly bored. Sebastian continued to drink, as Chris had offered to take him home.

  
“I did not. My apartment is, like, half a mile away.”

  
She laughed as Chris’ eyes seemed to bulge out of his head. “And you didn’t mention this sooner? Pass the pitcher. Seb and I are crashing at your place”

  
—————————–

  
The walk from the bar to Cassidy’s seemed to take longer than it should have. Sebastian didn’t mind. In his boozy haze, he had begun to think he and Cassidy could have been friends had things gone differently.

  
As they staggered to Cassidy’s place, Sebastian amused himself by listening to the conversation Chris and Cassidy were having.

  
“No shit? You got into Berklee?” Chris gaped, grabbing Cassidy’s arm to stop her. “That’s like, one of the best music schools in the country! And you got in? But you’re a nurse!”

  
“I got in! I even went for a semester.” Sebastian noticed the sadness in her voice. “Alas, life got in the way, and I had to move back home.”

  
“But you must be crazy good at…wait. What did you go for?”

  
“Voice. I was a singer-”

  
“You must be crazy good! Seb, she must be crazy good!” Sebastian had to laugh at the enthusiastic way Chris was talking. “What at home could possibly make you give that up?”

Sebastian had a feeling that he knew. He remembered seeing bruising on her arms, and that she was married. He remembered the scar from earlier in the night.

  
“A conversation for another time, dear sir.” Cassidy hooked her arm through Chris’ before turning to Sebastian. “Shall we?” Sebastian nodded as he followed her.

  
After walking several more minutes, Sebastian found himself in front of a nice, 10 story apartment building. Cassidy, using a key card, let them in through the front door and to an elevator. Pressing a button, she leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. Upon reaching her floor, the three of them followed her to her door.

  
“Oh, Frank.” Cassidy turned to look at the men standing behind her. “Before we go in, I just want to warn you about one of my cats. Frank is an asshole. I’m pretty sure he was a serial killer in a previous life. Watch your back.” With that, she let them into the apartment and turned on a lamp. Sebastian noted a cat perched on the kitchen counter, staring at the group through narrowed eyes before jumping off the table and sauntering towards Cassidy. She bent to scratch his ears before he swatted at her hands. Another car peaked out around the couch. “That’s Charlie.” Sebastian jumped as Cassidy spoke. “He’s an idiot, but he’s a sweetheart. I’ll be back in a minute. Make yourselves at home.” Frank followed behind her, batting at her heals as she walked.

  
Cassidy left the room, leaving Sebastian and Chris alone. “Fucking cats,” Chris mumbled as he fell into the large couch. He kicked off his shoes and curled into a ball, falling asleep within minutes. Sebastian watched as Charlie, the idiot cat, jumped onto the couch and curled up next to Chris.

  
Sebastian mimicked Chris and kicked off his shoes. However, he contented himself by looking around. Photos lined the shelves set against the wall. Most contained her and several women, posing in various locations, occasionally in scrubs. There were a few photos of a teenaged Cassidy on stage, microphone in hand. Several of them portrayed Cassidy as she had looked during the time she took care of his father. Sebastian noticed that in these photos, she wore a large diamond ring on her left ring finger. The ring was absent in more recent photos, as were any photos of the husband he knew she had had when she cared for his father.

  
Sebastian’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud meow. He looked down and saw Frank. “Hi kitty,” he stooped to pet the cat, getting bit in the process. The cat turned and sped down the hallway, rubbing passed Cassidy as she re entered the living room.

  
“Told you,” she giggled. “He didn’t get you too bad did he?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer as she grabbed his hand to look for signs of Frank’s assault.

  
“No. Did he make you quit music school?” Sebastian asked.

  
“How did you-?”

  
“My Dad told me you were married. He also told me in so many words that if I ever laid my hands on a woman, he’d haunt me. I put 2 and 2 together.”

  
“Yeah. He made me quit.” Cassidy looked thoughtful for a moment. “It ended up being okay though. Singing was something I happened to do well. The one thing Joseph gave me was a different future. It was his idea for me to go to nursing school. Now I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

  
“Why didn’t you keep your promise?” The question was put before Sebastian could stop himself. “I’m sorry. I know when I was in the hospital I said there were no excuses, and that I didn’t care. I just-I’m so tired of being angry. I just need to know.”

  
Cassidy sighed. She knew she would have to tell him eventually.


	7. Chapter 7

“Do you remember the last day?” Cassidy asked, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She and Sebastian had relocated to the balcony.

  
“Sure,” he replied quietly. His feet were placed on the railing, head lolling against the headrest of the chair. Cassidy handed him a bottle of wine, which he drank from before handing it back. “The view from here is beautiful.” It was. From the vantage point of the balcony, the Puget sound could be glimpsed between downtown building, above lights from the market.

  
“You had been by your father’s side for days at this point. His coma last longer than any of us anticipated. I couldn’t talk you into leaving to eat, you wouldn’t sleep, hell. You wouldn’t even go to the bathroom unless I stayed by his side until you got back. You were so worried you would miss it, him.”

  
“Yeah. I remember.” Sebastian recalled how the days dragged. He had expected his father’s passing to be quick. However, he ended up spending more than a month at his bedside, waiting. “You took care of him anytime you worked. I made sure of it.”

  
“Right,” Cassidy smiled wistfully at the memory. “We were friends.”

  
“Yeah.”

  
Cassidy sighed heavily, her face darkening. “I crossed a line, promising you I would be there. I was in too deep, too attached.”

  
Sebastian looked over at her, her profile highlighted by moonlight. “That’s not why.” He noticed a single tear wetting her cheek.

  
“No. Do you remember what happened after I made that promise?”

  
“Sure. Dr. Phelps came in.” Sebastian remembered the doctor. He had been on the younger side, terse. Horrible bedside manner. “He made you leave the room. I didn’t like that guy.”

  
“Neither did I. And I was married to him.” Cassidy’s voice was bitter, streaked with tears.   
“HE was your husband?” Sebastian was floored. “That asshole?”

  
“That asshole.” Cassidy sniffed, taking a swig from from the bottle. “You need to understand-I was only allowed to have that job because my patients were almost entirely elderly. No competition for him, and he could keep an eye on me. I had no friends my age. Most of the people, including the nursing staff, I interacted with were at least 15 years older. And female. I mean sure, patient famililies came and went, but it was rare to be in my unit for that long. Then you came and, and you were so nice! And good looking. Too good looking. And-and you! You treated me like a person!” Cassidy was standing now, hands flying as she spoke. She paced the short balcony from end to end as Sebastian stared.

  
He was unsure of what to do or say. She whirled on him, eyes wet with tears. “I made that promise because I wanted to hold onto that feeling. I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to keep it, but at the time it only mattered that you-”

  
Sebastian jumped up and grabbed her arms. She startled and stared up at him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she choked out. The more she spoke, the more Sebastian felt like an asshole.   
“You should’ve said something! I mean, Christ, Sadie. If I had known-” Cassidy visibly flinched at the use of ‘Sadie.’ Sebastian made a note not to use the name again.

  
“Known what? That because of a seemingly harmless promise, my adoring husband would try to kill me? That he would leaves scars like the one on my arm all over my body? None of that changes the fact that I hurt you.” Cassidy wasn’t yelling anymore, in fact she had sat down again, fingering the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

  
Sebastian sat too, turning his chair to face her. “Sure, I mean yeah. You were my dad’s favorite. It was ‘Sadie this’ and 'Sadie that.’ I was sad, and angry, because I thought you didn’t care as much as you said you did.”

  
“I wasn’t lying, Seb. I did like him.”

  
“I know that, now.” A loud thud startled them both, causing them to look for the source.   
Both started laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes when the day the cause. Frank was hurling himself at the sliding glass door, over and over.

  
The tension between them dissapated as they continued to laugh at the very human expression on the cat’s face as he glared at Sebastian.

  
“I might be really drunk, but I think he is plotting your demise,” Cassidy giggled , wiping away her tears as she took another drink from the bottle.

  
“Ugh. I like cats, but the thought of sleeping where he can easily get to me is terrifying.”

  
“Huh?”

  
“I am really scared of sleeping on the living room floor. I mean, it was okay at first, but now I think I’d be better off out here. With a door between myself and a cat.”

  
“Why would you sleep out here when there is a perfectly good bed down the hall?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassidy's feelings go from 0-60.  
> Frank proves he is evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics indicate inner thoughts
> 
> Frank is a real cat currently residing in my home. He is evil. And he acts exactly as described.

Sebastian stared, flabbergasted. “What?” He squeaked.  
“The guest room. It’s down the hall.” Sebastian exhaled forcefully, not sure if he was disappointed or relief. Both, probably. “Jesus, Sebastian. We literally just worked out this mess between us! Did you think I was propositioning you?”  
“Um, kinda?” They were both laughing now, giddy from all they’d drunk. “Fuck, what time is it?”  
“Waaaaay too late.” Cassidy checked her phone. “4. 4 am. Sleep?”  
“Sleep.” Sebastian followed Cassidy back into the living room, shutting the door softly behind him.  
“Mmeeeeoooow.” Frank stretched and placed it front paws on Sebastian’s thigh.  
“You might want to lock the bedroom door,” Cassidy whispered as she led him down the hall, Frank hot on their heals. “He’s figured out the doorknob.”  
As if to punctuate her statement, Frank stretched onto his hind legs and pulled down on the handle. “This cat’s a fucking genius,” Sebastian laughed softly, entering the room. Cassidy snatched the cat off the bed.  
“More like evil genius. Isn’t that right, Frank?” The cat nuzzled her face, purring. “Goodnight, Sebastian.”  
“Goodnight,” he chuckled.  
“Such a good, evil kitty. Who’s an evil kitty?” Sebastian heard Cassidy baby talk the cat before shutting a door. All was quiet. Turning to the bed, he stripped to his t shirt and boxers before remembering the open door. He raced to shut it, but not before catching a glimpse of Frank, prancing down the hallway. He locked the door.  
“Better safe than sorry,” he muttered, turning out the light. He was asleep within minutes.

  
**9:30 am**

  
Cassidy stretched, relishing the fact that although she had only gotten a few hours of sleep, she did not wake up to her alarm. Feeling more rested than she’d expected, Cassidy opened the door and crept down the hall. The last thing she wanted to do was wake anyone.  
As it turned out, she didn’t need to worry. Chris was wide awake, sitting at the dining room table with a bowl of cereal in front of him. Frank sat on the other side of the bowl, wide eyed.  
“I hope you don’t mind,” Chris said, staring down the cat. “I was hungry.” Frank held Chris’ gaze.  
“I don’t. I was actually thinking of making pancakes and eggs. You in?” Cassidy suppressed a grin as Frank inched toward the cereal bowl, seemingly unnoticed by Chris.  
“Abso-fuckin-lately!” Chris looked at her, a huge smile on his face. Frank took the opening and dipped his paw in the cereal milk, licking off the droplets that clung to his paw. “What the hell?” Chris laughed, pulling the cereal away. Frank, disgruntled that he had been caught, jumped down and skulked away.  
Laughing, Cassidy prepared to make breakfast. She started a large part of coffee and set to mixing pancake batter.  
“My mom uses Krusteaz,” Chris said, watching as she measured ingredients.  
“I prefer scratch, and you will too once you’ve had my delicious pancakes.”  
“That sounds dirty,” a gravely voice said from behind them. Sebastian had stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
“Pancakes?” Cassidy asked, trying not to notice how incredible his jeans looked, beltless and slung low on his hips. He t shirt rode up as he stretched his arms above his head.  
“Definitely. Water?” He had began to open random cabinets, looking for a glass.  
“Sink. There is coffee too.” Cassidy felt flushed.  
Chris noticed. “Cassidy? Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, um, I think I might still be a little drunk.” She hoped the lie would work. Cassidy couldn’t understand where this sudden attraction was coming from. _I am still drunk. That HAS to be it._  
“Ugh.” Sebastian grimaced as he poored a cup of coffee. “Me too.”  
“How late were you guys up?”  
“Too late,” they answered simultaneously.  
Chris eyed them both. “Rrriiight,” he said, “And you were…?”  
“Just talking,” Sebastian answered, meeting Chris’ eyes. “We had some shit to figure out.”  
“Okay.” Chris looked skeptical, but he let the subject go.  
Sebastian caught her eye and grinned, and she felt her face grow warm again as she returned his smile.  
_What the hell is wrong with me?_


	9. Chapter 9

Two weeks had passed since that weekend, and try as she might, she couldn't get Sebastian out of her head. 

Cassidy stood in the center of the medical tent, two 1 liter bags of saline clutched in her hand, and completely lost. 

"What the fuck was I doing?" she whispered to herself. Looking blankly at the bags in her hand, she couldn't even remember why she was holding them. "Fuck me," she said aloud. "I think I'm losing my mind." She set the bags on a table, nearly dropping them as a voice spoke behind her.

"You would have to be to be talking to yourself like that." Chris was laughing, his blue eyes sparkling. 

Glaring, Cassidy stuck out her tongue before remembering what she had intended to do with the bag. "Refrigerator!" Cassidy smiled to herself, humming as she placed the bags in the refrigerator.

"Ok. You're definitely nuts."

"Don't tell me my business," she scoffed at him, pretending to be angry. "I do what I want."

"Someone is a diva today. Too much coffee? Or perhaps, just maybe, something on your mind? Someone on your mind?" Chris raised his eyebrows and Cassidy froze with her back to him. 

"I have no idea what or who you are talking about," she said cooly. 

"Yeah. Okay Miss Thang. Hey, what are you doing Friday? A bunch of us are going to this karaoke place downtown. Anthony is renting the place out for the night. You in?"

"Gee, Chris. I don't know." Cassidy hadn't performed in front of anyone since the age of 19, when her ex manipulated her into dropping out of school.

"Come on! I feel like you're holding out on us. I know you can sing. You told me as much." He was practically begging.

"Used to, Chris. And besides that, I'm sure you guys would rather it just be you. You don't want a member of the crew tagging along-"

"You hush. We are friends. And friends go with friends for drunk Karaoke. You haven't lived until you have seen Mackie and Seb perform 'Summer Nights'. Speaking of Sebastian, did I mention he would be there?”

She ignored the last part. "I can't get out of this, can I," Cassidy resigned herself. 

"No. You are coming. Even if I have to stalk you at your apartment and drag you." With that, he turned and left. 

"Shit!" Cassidy squeaked, anxiety flooding her body. She had stuffed that part of her so deep, she didn't know what would happen if she picked up a microphone again. 

FRIDAY

She stood outside, willing herself to go home. No matter how hard she tried to turn around to leave, curiosity and intense want kept her rooted to the spot. 

"Don't tell me you have stage fright." Chris had come upon her silently once again and jerked her out of her thoughts. "Come on," he chidded. Grabbing her by the elbow, he steered her into the karaoke bar.

She was immediately greeted by the noise and music. Scarlett was on-stage singing "Cherrybomb" by The Runaways, beer in hand. The rest of the cast and a few crew members were chanting and cheering, obviously drunk. Shaking Chris' hand from her arm, Cassidy made her way to the bar. 

"Hello, Nurse!" Anthony giggled as he leaned against the bar.

"Original. Really," she deadpanned before a grin softened the look the gave him. 

"I think I'm very original, thank you," he scoffed, pouring a glass of beer from the pitcher on the bar. Cassidy's eyes scanned the crowd as she took the glass from him. Chris' eyes met her's, and he beckoned to her. 

"C'mon, the captain is ordering us to join him," she said, nudging him. The made their way to the table, pushing through the rowdy crowd. Cassidy found herself to be slightly disappointed to find only Chris and Liz sitting at the table. 

"Chill out," Chris whispered in her ear as she took a seat next to him. "He will be here." Cassidy felt her cheeks warm as she glared at Chris. 

Cassidy fell into conversation with Liz, subconsciously looking up every time someone passed the table or sat down to join them. Her disappointment grew each time that someone wasn’t Sebastian. Chris watched her, his amusement growing each time she looked up hopefully from her conversation.

Practically giving up on Sebastian, Cassidy visited the bar again. This time, Chris followed, sensing her resignation. 

“How many drinks would it take for you to sing?” he asked as they both waited for their drinks, a beer for him and an impossibly strong drink containing tequila for her. 

“Chris,” she sighed, a warning tone to her voice. He had intended the question as a playful distraction, not to frustrate her further. 

“Just one song! Please?” He was begging at this point, literally. Chris had dropped to the floor, hands clasped under his chin. He stuck out his lower lip for effect. Forgetting her annoyance at him, Cassidy laughed. “Is that a yes?” He looked hopeful. 

“Fine!” Cassidy laughed. “One song, then you will never bug me again.” Chris stood, clapping gleefully. 

“Ok. Fine, but I am picking the song.” With that, Chris took off for the stage, almost skipping. 

“Why is he so happy?” Sebastian’s voice startled her. “How much has he had to drink?” 

Cassidy quickly downed half her drink before turning to face him. She hoped Sebastian would assume her cheeks were flushed because of the alcohol. 

“I just made his day,” she laughed, giddy from the nearness of him. 

“How?” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. 

Noticing sudden change in demeanor, Cassidy giggled. “I told him I would do karaoke.”

Sebastian’s face broke into a grin, before sagging. “Damn. That means i just lost fifty bucks.” 

Before Cassidy could ask, Chris rejoined them at the bar, smirking. “You’re all set.”

Cassidy felt her stomach knot, a feeling she hadn’t had in the years since she quit performing. “Oh no. What did you do?” She realized she had given Chris complete control over the song she would sing. 

“Let’s just say I noticed an extensive Celine Dion collection last time I was at your apartment.” Cassidy’s mouth dropped open as the DJ announced her name, followed by her favorite song. “Next we have Cassidy with Celine Dion’s ‘To Love You More.”

She downed the last of her drink as Chris began chanting her name. Throwing a dirty look at him, she made her way to the stage, hoping she wouldn’t vomit. A million thoughts buzzed through her head as she climbed the stairs and crossed the stage to the microphone. She was worried she couldn’t do it anymore. She was worried she could. 

The music began. Cassidy gripped the microphone, and began to sing.


End file.
